1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus, a recording medium adapter apparatus, and a recording and reproducing method for conducting data processing in order to record or reproduce data on a recording medium instead of another recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art data recording medium is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,182. The prior art data recording medium is formed so as to have an external shape of a floppy disk 100 shown in FIG. 10 or a cassette tape which is not illustrated. The prior art data recording medium can be inserted into or ejected from an existing recording and reproducing apparatus. Like a floppy disk (FD) type card adapter 111 shown in FIG. 11, the prior art data recording medium includes therein a write and read device 114 serving as an interface for exchanging data with recording and reproducing means of the recording and reproducing apparatus, a semiconductor memory or memory card 119, a processor 115 for controlling exchange of data between the memory and the interface, and a battery 117 and/or a power generation unit as power supply.
If the recording and reproducing apparatus does not operate such prior art recording medium for several minutes, then the processor 115 of the recording medium is adapted to come into a power saving mode in order to suppress the consumption of power supplied from the battery 117 in the recording medium. Once the processor 115 comes into the power saving mode, however, the processor 115 cannot exit the power saving mode so long as a main switch 113 of the recording medium is not reset. The recording medium is formed so that resetting will be conducted in this case by ejecting the recording medium from the recording and reproducing apparatus and inserting the recording medium into the recording and reproducing apparatus again. Since there is no space to mount a battery 117 having a sufficient capacity because of the above described configuration of the recording medium, it is an important problem to suppress the power consumption. In some applications, however, it causes a problem in durability and inconvenience in use to pull out and insert the recording medium frequently in order to exit the power saving mode. In addition, there is a disadvantage that it takes a long time for reuse once the recording medium is reset.
The structure of the FD type card adapter serving as a concrete recording medium and how to turn on and off the main switch will hereafter be described. FIG. 10 shows the floppy disk (FD) 100. FIG. 11 shows the FD type card adapter 111 for a floppy disk drive (FDD). When the floppy disk (FD) 100 is inserted into the FDD, an opening and shutting lever 102 of the FDD moves leftward and downward as represented by a dotted line in FIG. 10, and thereby a shutter 101 is elastically moved to its opening position as illustrated. When the floppy disk (FD) 100 is ejected from the FDD, the opening and shutting lever 102 of the FDD moves upward and rightward as represented by the dotted line, and thereby the shutter 101 is elastically moved to its closing position.
If the FD type card adapter 111 as shown in FIG. 11 is inserted into the FDD, then the above described opening and shutting lever 102 of the FDD moves leftward and downward in the same way, and thereby a shutter window 120 is elastically moved to its opening position as illustrated. Accordingly, an actuator 112 is rotationally moved in the counterclockwise direction from a position indicated by a solid line to a position indicated by a dotted line. As a result, a contact of a switch 113 is opened (turned on). If the FD type card adapter 111 is ejected from the FDD, then the above described opening and shutting lever 102 moves upward and rightward in the same way, and thereby the shutter window 120 is elastically moved to its closing position. Accordingly, the actuator 112 is rotationally moved in the clockwise direction from the position indicated by the dotted line to the position indicated by the dotted line. As a result, the contact of the switch 113 is closed (turned off). While the FD type card adapter 111 is inserted in the FDD, the opening and shutting lever 102 continues to elastically press the actuator 112 to the position indicated the dotted line. This results in a disadvantage that it is impossible to reset the processor 115 by turning on and off the switch 113 unless the FD type card adapter 111 is ejected from the FDD and inserted into the FDD again.
In view of the points heretofore described, the present invention has been made. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording and reproducing apparatus, a recording medium adapter apparatus, and a recording and reproducing method allowing exit from the power saving mode without conducting the reset using ejection and re-insertion of the recording medium.
In order to solve the above described problems, a recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes: recording and reproducing means for conducting data writing or reading on a predetermined recording medium; detection means for detecting that a recording medium adapter for conducting data writing or reading on another recording medium different from the recording medium by using the recording and reproducing means has been inserted; and communication means for conducting communication of control data of predetermined data, in order to effect control related to operation of the recording and reproducing means between the recording medium adapter and the recording and reproducing apparatus, when insertion of the recording medium adapter has been detected by the detection means.
Furthermore, a recording medium adapter apparatus of the present invention includes: detection means for detecting that the recording medium adapter apparatus has been inserted into a recording and reproducing apparatus for conducting data writing or reading on a predetermined recording medium by using recording and reproducing means; data processing means for conducting processing to conduct data writing or reading on another recording medium different from the recording medium by using the recording and reproducing means; and communication means for conducting communication of control data of predetermined data, in order to effect control related to operation of the recording and reproducing means between the recording and reproducing apparatus and the recording medium adapter apparatus, when insertion of the recording medium adapter apparatus into the recording and reproducing apparatus has been detected by the detection means.
Furthermore, a recording and reproducing method of the present invention includes the steps of: detecting that a recording medium adapter has been inserted into a recording and reproducing apparatus for conducting data writing or reading on a predetermined recording medium; conducting communication of control data of predetermined data, in order to effect control related to recording and reproducing operation between the recording and reproducing apparatus and the recording medium adapter, when insertion of the recording medium adapter into the recording and reproducing apparatus has been detected; and conducting data processing to effect data writing or reading on another recording medium different from the recording medium.
According to the recording and reproducing apparatus, the recording medium adapter apparatus, and the recording and reproducing method of the present invention, operations described below are conducted.
First of all, the recording and reproducing apparatus ascertains the existence of a recording medium by using the detection means. If the recording medium is not inserted, then waiting is conducted. If the recording medium is inserted, then the kind of the recording medium is ascertained. The recording and reproducing apparatus conducts trial reproduction. Detection using a switch is conducted. Or it is determined whether data reading of a recording medium permitted to use could be conducted, and it is determined whether data reading of the recording medium adapter apparatus could be conducted. Thereby the recording and reproducing apparatus recognizes the kind of the recording medium.
If the recording medium is judged to be the recording medium adapter apparatus, then a switch to the recording or reproducing mode for the recording medium adapter apparatus is conducted. The recording and reproducing apparatus fixes the recording and reproducing means in a specific position. By the way, the head fixing position is such a position that interfacing with the data processing means for conducting data writing and reading on the recording medium adapter apparatus is possible.
The recording and reproducing apparatus determines whether there is a recording or reproducing request. The recording and reproducing apparatus determines whether a recording or reproducing operation order is issued directly by input operation or from the outside.
If a recording or reproducing operation order is not issued within a predetermined time, then a shift to the power saving mode is conducted. The recording and reproducing apparatus controls the recording medium adapter apparatus so as to bring the recording medium adapter apparatus in such a state that the power consumption of the battery is reduced.
If there is a recording or reproducing order, the recording and reproducing apparatus conducts communication of predetermined control data by using the communication means. A control signal for causing communication of the control data is supplied from the outside. Thereupon, the recording and reproducing apparatus supplies a drive signal for communication to the communication means on the basis of the control signal. On the basis of the drive signal, the communication means conducts communication and supplies control data to the recording medium adapter apparatus.
As a result, the communication means of the recording medium adapter apparatus receives the control data, and supplies the control data to the active state control means. The active state control means shifts the recording medium adapter apparatus from the power saving mode state to the active state allowing the operation for recording or reproducing the data.
After the recording medium adapter apparatus is shifted into the active state, ordinary operation is conducted. In the active state, recording or reproducing operation is immediately conducted on another recording medium of the recording medium adapter apparatus on the basis of the input operation in the recording and reproducing apparatus or a recording or a reproducing operation order supplied from the outside.